SZ: It's been a while since we saw you on TV - what's happened in your life and how do you feel at the moment?

Brüno: Ich parted company mit zose Arsch Weasels at mein old show Funkyzeit. Ich vas too beautiful for Austrian TV vhich as you know consists entirely of farmers und zeir fatty wifes sitting in barns listening to child molesters playing ze accordian. Zere vas zis guy a few years ago, Ghandi, have you heard of him? He realised he looked hot in just his underpants und made a film about himself. Ich decided to do ze same thing. Ich had taken television as far as it can go. Mein show Funkyzeit vas vatched by almost 7% of gay white males aged between 17 and 23 in ze South Austrian Tyrol region (excluding Schlesswigholstein).

SZ: We must say you look fabulous. No feelings of being overworked and overweight today?

SZ: Your new hairstyle is clearly a sign of... ähmm, gotta help us here, please. Was your friend Gianni involved in this?

Brüno: Mein hairstyle is inspired by two of ze most perfect things zat have existed on Earth - 1. Princess Diana 2. Ze shape of an egg. Zat is vhy ich call zis look 'Diana's love egg'. Gianni Versace definitely helped me mit zis look. He vas very close to Diana und ein enthusiast of ze love egg. Ich liebe ze late great Gianni Versace. Such ein vonderful sense of poise to his clothes. But ich have to admit his final collection vas nicht his best, so it vas probably ein blessing he vas taken from us. Although he is still around - yesterday, vhen ich took my morning pischen, his face appeared briefly in ze bubbles. It vas ze most beautiful thing ich had ever seen.

SZ: With the economic crisis upon us, people are scaling down all over the world - but not Brüno, we suppose?

Brüno: Times are hard, but if you shop around und are prepared to vear some things twice before throwing zem avay, it is still possible to look good on a clothing budget of about $20,000.00 a veek. Ich mean, obviously you vill need a bit more zan zat if you are planning on leaving ze house. Ich still insist people should treat their clothes like zey vould a pet - love them for a week, zhen put zem in a zipup bag und throw zhem in ze Danube.

SZ: Do you feel, as a consumer, a duty for people to spend more money looking fabulous, to get the economy back on track?

SZ: We hear you've adopted a baby. How would you say has fatherhood changed your life?

Brüno: Having ein baby changes everything - you get to board ze airplane first, you can charge more for photoshoots, und best of all it gives you ein caring image. Und Madonna has shown zat you can be ein good parent und still have ein great career. As long as you can be zere for all ze key moments, like paying ze nanny und consulting vith ze stylists it vill be fine.

SZ: Your fans look up to you as a role model - what are you doing in terms of charity work, are you engaged in any political issues?

Brüno: Ich do not like to talk about politics. Ze last time an Austrian got involved in politics it caused ein horrific var, which resulted in ze annihilation of all major European fashion shows for six years. Ich know it's controversial - but in my opinion - Hitler vas a bit of a bitch. I know someone who vas ze grandson of his personal assistant - apparently behind ze scenes he vas a real tyrant. Vorse zan Elton!

SZ: We see you turing the world all the time - but what's your relationship to your home country Österreich now? Do you still return?

Brüno: Ich misses a lot abaus Austria. Ze fact you can pick up ze phone, call for ein pizza, hit on ze delivery guy, zen throw ze pizza avay. Where else in ze world can you do zat?

SZ: In Germany, you've recently been voted the second most popular Austrian ever. When will you get to be number one?

Brüno: Is Arnie number one? If so zhen ve can share ze top slot as ve used to be ein couple. Not many people know this, but ich dated him back in ze early 80's for about 7 minutes. Ich met him backstage at the Mr. Universe contest in 1983. He was competing for the very last time and was just overweight for his division. He needed to lose 25 grams in 5 minutes - Bruno was only too happy to help out.

SZ: Recently, the ÖJRF has had problems with the Austrian Ratings Board - do you feel your work has been compromised?

Brüno: Ze great thinkers of zeir time have alvays been persecuted - Plato, Aristotle, Shakira. Ich am just ze latest. In a hundred years ich vill be venerated as ein genius. You know ich vas ze first person to vear ein tie as ein sash, in Austria, outside of ze clubs, on ein veekday. Beat zat Marc Jacobs!

SZ: We hear you have shot some episodes in Germany. Can you tell us about that?

Brüno: It vas actually quite disappointing. We vanted to film ein funky shot of me valking along zat great big wall in Berlin with all ze crazy graffiti und hot guards, but ve couldn't find it.